


Hiding From Him

by MaggiesAngel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Accidental Pregnancy, Alpha Dean Winchester, Alpha Sam Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Dean Winchester Being an Asshole, Dean after a rut is a dick, Dean is a Softie, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Fluffy Ending, former relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-04 21:47:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17312438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaggiesAngel/pseuds/MaggiesAngel
Summary: Stumbling into one of Bobby's cabins as a place to patch up Sam, the brothers find a friend they haven't seen in months and come face to face with a gun. Kaitlin wants them gone, and to never see them again. Well, to never see Dean.She came to the woods to hide, not just from the Winchesters, and they've led danger right to her door.  Will she let them in the cabin and on her massive secret?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SarahLannister](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahLannister/gifts).



Dean frowned as he pulled up to the cabin; lights were on inside and he could see smoke from the fireplace, even though he knew Bobby was back home at the salvage yard. With a glance to his brother, the men drew their guns and approached the front door cautiously. Dean grabbed the handle and mouthed a count of three to his brother. When he threw open the door, they came face-to-face with the barrel of a sawed-off shotgun.

Sam stared in shock and felt the same coming from his brother as he asked, “Kaitlin?”  
*****  
She stood a few feet inside the front door, waiting patiently; the unmistakable rumble of the Impala had given away their approach. Grabbing the shotgun, she had waited for them to come inside, the barrel aimed higher than she normally would; their chests were higher than most, she remembered. _Tall as trees,_ she thought.

“Get out,” she growled.

“Kait, it’s us,” Sam said softly, lowering his gun while he wavered on his feet.

“I know who it is, Sam,” she replied steadily, her eyes flicking between him and his brother, though she couldn’t meet Dean’s angry gaze. “And this is my home. Last time your brother saw me, he said he had no interest in laying eyes on me again. If that’s truly the case, get out.”

Dean growled lowly, watched as the gun in her hands turned towards him. “It wasn’t like that,” he replied.

“I have no interest in what you thought it was like,” Kaitlin snapped at him. She finally met his eyes and shook her head.

“The cabin is Bobby’s, and we need a place to look after Sam,” Dean said, his voice dark.

“The cabin is _mine_ ; Bobby gave it to me,” she replied. Her eyes looked over the taller of the brothers and her resolve weakened; he clutched at his side and she could see blood soaked through makeshift bandages on his ribs, as well as more on his shoulder. If it was only Sam, she would have allowed him to stay readily, but his brother… Kaitlin turned to Dean and shook her head. “I’m sorry. There’s a hotel less thirty minutes down the road. Seeing how you drive, you’ll be there in twenty. You’re not welcome here.”

Sam stared between the pair, confused. He could smell the anger and fear coming off Kaitlin as he stumbled a few steps further into the room to lean heavily on a counter. The three used to be close, but there had been a fight between his brother and her around eight months ago, and she had been avoiding them both ever since. Then Sam noticed something on the kitchen island he was leaning against and held it up; an infant’s onesie.

Kaitlin heard Sam clear his throat and turned to see him carefully holding the garment. Before she could speak, the baby cried from the far room. She turned to leave but heard Dean move. She had the gun loaded while she spun, the barrel landed against his chest before he could touch her. “Don’t,” she warned her voice heavy with tears. “You told me never to speak to you again, never to contact you, and never to come near you. I have respected that. Now respect my words; you can stay until Sam is well enough to travel, but you stay the _fuck_ away from me. Understood?”

Dean studied her carefully, hearing the hurt in her voice, but he nodded. “Understood.”

“Sam, let me see to my daughter, then I’ll tend your wounds. Follow me,” Kaitlin whispered, never taking her eyes off the older Winchester. She finally lowered her gun and turned without another word, following the wails of the baby into the back.

Sam shared a long look with his brother. Dean had to help him to the door of the back bedroom before he left Sam leaning in the doorway alone. There, Sam found Kaitlin leaned over, changing a wet diaper and talking softly to a cooing infant. “Kait?”

“Get comfortable on the bed, Sam, I’ll be with you in a few minutes,” she replied, voice light.

He followed her instructions, lying on the towels she had put out, but could hear the undercurrent of tears still that she tried to hide in her voice. “We didn’t know you were here,” he said softly.

Kaitlin stood, cradling the baby to her chest and swaying slightly to settle her. “It wouldn’t have mattered. I can smell the amount of blood that’s soaked into the bandages; you need stitches. And no one would have told you I was here; Dean didn’t want information about me, so he was specifically not told anything.”

“But others knew you were here?” Sam asked gently.

She ignored the question and gazed down at the little one in her arms who had quickly settled back to sleep. Laying the baby back into the bassinet on the far side of the bed, Kaitlin made certain she was comfortable, then gathered the medical supplies and moved to sit on the bed next to Sam.

He took her hands before she could touch his clothes and forced her to look at him. His own eyes were wide, and he stared at her in disbelief. “Omega?” he breathed. When she tried to stand, to move away from him, Sam held her hands gently and shook his head. “Kaitlin, it’s just me.”

“I need to stop the bleeding, Sam,” she whispered.

“Kait, talk to me,” he pleaded. He struggled to take off his flannel shirt before he allowed her to cut the t-shirt underneath to expose the bandages. “You stopped calling eight months ago. I can do the math, but I don’t know what happened.”

She worked to cut through the bandages and grimaced at the bullet wound underneath. Reaching a hand around his back, she shook her head. “The bullet is still in there; I need to get it out, Sam,” she murmured. “And there’s blood farther up on your shoulder…?”

“Knife wound,” he replied.

Kaitlin sighed and pulled over a side table to lay out instruments and pour alcohol over them. She handed him a bottle of whiskey and said, “Drink up.”

“Only if you start talking,” he countered.

She sighed and glanced at him, cleaned her hands and dried them before pulling on a pair of gloves. “I should have called you that night,” she started, indicating he should drink. Kaitlin watched him take several long swallows before she looked a question at him while she held the rubbing alcohol bottle above the wound. When he nodded, she poured it over the bullet wound, winced as he flinched, his entire body stiffening on the bed and a pained groan crawled from his throat. “I’m sorry.”

“Just keep talking to me,” he panted, watching as she picked up tweezers, knowing that she would have to go digging for the bullet. “Distract me, Kait.”

Kaitlin took gauze, so she could put pressure against the wound when she got the bullet and let out a deep breath. She hated causing him pain and couldn’t meet his eyes while she spoke. “You scented me pretty quick just now. I didn’t know, when I called your brother, that he was in a rut,” she murmured while she dug carefully into his wound.

Sam panted, his hands fisted into the covers while he fought to hold still. He closed his eyes and managed to ask, “But… I thought you were…a beta?”

“So did I,” she replied, letting out a satisfied sigh while she pulled out the bullet. “I was in a panic. At first, I didn’t know what was happening, and when I finally realized… I waited it out as long as I could, but it’s not like I was prepared to try and deal with it. When I couldn’t take it anymore… Alphabetically, your brother’s name just came up first, so I called him.” Kaitlin dropped the bullet onto the table and grabbed the alcohol to pour over the wound again and held it firmly against it with the gauze for a few minutes. “Press against it for me, Sam. I’ll get everything ready to stitch it closed.” She changed into clean gloves and picked up the needle and worked to thread it. “Anyway, Dean showed up, I guess towards the end of his rut, and… He knew then that I was in heat. But the next morning…”

Sam frowned. He knew what Dean was like as his rut was ending; almost like the blood hadn’t returned to his upper brain, and he could be downright mean. Sam gritted his teeth while she started suturing.

“I couldn’t get him to stop ranting long enough to listen to me,” she said softly, concentrating on her work. “Not even enough to scent me. He accused me of taking advantage of him being in a rut just to get him into bed…” Kaitlin shook her head and pulled away. The trio had been friends for years, and Kaitlin had never before even hit on either of the brothers, so the idea of wanting to get one of them into bed… They were simply the only alphas she could think of to trust in an emergency to call. She could still remember the anger in his voice; Dean had raged at her, and she hadn’t been able to get a word in. He remembered nothing of the night before, and her heat had been strangely satisfied to the point her pheromones no longer saturated the room; Kaitlin now knew it was because she had conceived over the course of the night.

Sam reached out to take her shaking hands; he could see the haunted look on her face. He wondered what exactly his brother had said that wounded her so deeply. “Take a deep breath for me, Kait,” Sam said softly.

She did, blinked back the tears, and met his eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m done with the bullet wound. Your shirt is a mess, I’m just gonna cut it the rest of the way up to your shoulder…?”

“Yeah, go for it,” he agreed. “It’s just going to get tossed out anyway.”

Kaitlin nodded and cleaned up the knife wound, shaking her head while she stitched it closed. “You’re pale, which means you’ve lost a _lot_ of blood, Sam,” she said with a frown. “You’re going to need to rest for a while to recover before you’re good to move without risking ripping these stitches. I’m surprised Dean didn’t just call Cas.”

“We tried; wherever he is, he isn’t answering right now,” Sam replied with a heavy frown.

She cleaned up the supplies and let out a long sigh. “You and Dean can have this room, it’s the biggest, Johnnie and I will take the other bedroom.”

“Johnnie?” Sam asked quietly, his eyes wide.

She checked his pulse and shook her head. “I don’t like your heart rate; it’s too fast. I’m going to start an IV and run some saline,” she muttered, more to herself while she gathered supplies. Kaitlin grinned to herself as she easily found a vein on his hand and quickly hung a bag of saline; both brothers had always been easy to start IV’s on, even being dehydrated never seemed to change that. She studied him and said, “I’m going to give you something for the pain, Sam, then leave you, okay?”

“Kait,” he said softly, drawing her attention. “Why did you name the baby Johnnie?”

“You know why,” she replied quietly, giving him the drugs. She picked up the baby in one arm, a diaper bag in her other hand, and nodded. “Get some rest.”

Kaitlin let herself out of the bedroom and across the hall to the guest room. Arranging the pillows to lay Johnnie down safely, she kissed the infant’s head and set the diaper bag down in the corner. She checked the wards quickly, let out a relieved breath that they were strongly intact, and headed to the master bedroom to pack a bag of clothes for herself. In the main room, she gathered the spare bassinet and other things she would need to stay in the spare room with Johnnie while the brothers were staying there.

Dean watched her moving around, amazed she was ignoring him so thoroughly. When she disappeared into the other bedroom a second time, he frowned and went to check on his brother. Leaning his head in the door, he looked around while he said, “Sammy?”

“I’m here,” he replied.

Dean walked in and saw his brother sprawled on a large bed, eyes closed, but fresh bandages taped over his wounds and an IV hanging from one of the bedposts going into his hand. “You okay there, dude?”

“Kait gave me a shot,” Sam replied drowsily. “I’m here, I’m just…”

“Feeling no pain,” Dean finished with a chuckle. He studied Sam and frowned. “Why the IV?”

“Lost a lot of blood,” Sam replied, cracking his eyes open to look at his brother. “A bit dehydrated. Kait didn’t like it.” He sighed tiredly and fought to open his eyes wider. Both brothers knew that though she had been in the hunter life since she had been a teen, she had also taken paramedic training; she wanted to have an emergency medical background to help out other hunters in cases just like this. It had come in handy on more than one occasion for the brothers. “Kait says we can stay in here, she took the baby to stay in another room.”

Dean nodded and gazed around the room. “Yeah, I saw that.”

Sam closed his eyes and yawned. “She named the baby after Dad,” he muttered.

He whirled to stare at his brother in shock. “What?”

Sam grinned dopily. “Kait,” he replied with a chuckle. “She named the baby Johnnie.”

*****


	2. Chapter 2

Kaitlin heard Dean talking to his brother in the master bedroom, and since the baby was sleeping, she walked into the kitchen and pulled out the leftover pizzas. She shook her head to herself that she had over-ordered, something she rarely did; as if part of her had known they were coming. Putting the food in the oven to reheat, she set out the plates, grabbed the book she had been reading, along with her laptop and put both into the bedroom. By the time she had those in place, the oven buzzed.

She glanced at the bedroom and debated, then shook her head. Kaitlin pulled out the pizza and served herself, but before she went into her room, she knocked on the closed door to the master bedroom and said, “There’s hot pizza on the counter, and drinks in the fridge.” Without waiting for an answer, she went into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

Dean glanced at Sam in surprise, but by the time he opened the door, he watched Kaitlin’s door click closed. Dean had gone for a shower while Sam dozed off, and not heard her moving around, but now he could smell the pizza and saw it on the counter. Patting his brother’s leg, Dean asked, “Sammy, you hungry?”

“Yeah, I could eat,” he groaned.

“Stay here, I’ll grab us food.”

Noting there was a lot of pizza, Dean frowned, but loaded plates and grabbed water for Sam. Knowing there was beer in the car, he waited; Dean knew he would have to go out and get their bags since they’d be staying at least overnight. But the smell of food overrode anything else; he needed to eat.

Sam watched his brother come back into the bedroom and frowned. “Where’s Kait?”

“In the other room, I guess,” Dean replied with a shrug. “She knocked to say the food was done but was gone when I opened the door.” Dean handed over a plate and motioned. “Eat up, then get some rest.”

*****

Kaitlin paced the main room’s floor in the dark, rocking Johnnie and shushing her softly. The baby whined and fussed, and she struggled to get Johnnie to latch on. She knew the infant was hungry but also uncertain with the strained emotions she could feel coming from her mother.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Kaitlin pleaded. She didn’t want to wake Sam or Dean; knowing the latter would come to investigate the noise, and she had no wish to deal with him. Johnnie finally latched and fed greedily, making Kaitlin sigh in relief while she stared outside.

The moon was nearly full, giving her a clear view of the surrounding trees. A light rain had fallen earlier, and now the light shone off the leaves; it was a view she would appreciate more if it wasn’t for the men asleep in the other room. The master bedroom’s door creaked, making her turn with dread, but she saw Sam staring at her. “What are you doing up?” she scolded.

“My shoulder ached,” he replied. “And I heard you pacing.”

Kaitlin noted that he had left the IV lock in his hand, but the tubing had been disconnected; she had taught the brothers long ago how to safely do that. “Did you want something for the pain?”

“I took some pills, I should be good. Just need them to kick in,” he assured. Sam watched her sit and adjusted the baby onto her shoulder to burp. He moved stiffly to sit across from her and grinned as the baby went looking again for food. “She’s a hungry one.”

“She has a good appetite, yeah” Kaitlin agreed. “And she’ll be out cold as soon as she’s full.”

Sam smiled and studied her; she seemed truly happy, if uncomfortable to see them. “You seem to have gotten lucky with her then; I’ve heard of some rather unhappy babies.”

“Well, she has her colicky times,” she replied with a one-shouldered shrug, not wanting to disturb the feeding baby. “But, for the most part, yeah, I’ve been very fortunate.” Kaitlin watched him yawn and shook her head at him. “Sam, you need to sleep. You know your body will recover faster if you get the proper rest.”

He pushed slowly to his feet and groaned at her. “Yeah, yeah. Have a good night, Kait.”

“You too, Sammy,” she replied softly. She watched the hulking alpha wander back into the bedroom and close the door slightly behind him. Johnnie had stopped feeding and Kaitlin got to her feet to pat her back.

*****

Kaitlin spent most of the rest of the next day in her room; watching Netflix, reading, and playing with Johnnie. She had ventured out to the main room while the baby was asleep to get herself something to eat. Sparing a frown to Sam, she said, “You should still be laying down, you know.”

“You know I can’t sit still,” he replied with a grin. “I’m feeling better, I promise.”

“Well, you still look like hell,” Kaitlin replied with a growl. “And if you push it, you’re going to end up in worse shape.”

“I warned him you’d be pissed,” Dean said with a grin as he came out of the bedroom.

Kaitlin’s face closed down, and she moved silently to the fridge. A sudden wash of magic rushed over her skin, drove her to her knees as she cried out in surprise.

“Kait?” Sam asked as he got to his feet.

“Kaitlin?” Dean said simultaneously, rushing closer.

“What was after the two of you?” she asked breathlessly as she pushed herself to her feet. Kaitlin’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the brothers. “Please tell me you killed the bastards who shot Sam?”

“We did,” Dean replied defensively.

“But they were working for demons…” Sam added softly, glancing at his brother.

“Demons?” Kaitlin interrupted. “Are you telling me Crowley could have tracked you here?”

“You have the place warded, don’t you?” Dean asked with a frown.

“What do you think happened to me back there just now?” Kaitlin snapped as she ran to the bedroom. She started throwing things into a bag, not looking at the men who had followed her as she continued to speak. “Something just crossed my farthest warning ward, and it’s something not human that broke it. Crowley has been looking for me for months, and you might have led him right to me. _Congratulations_ .” 

“The baby,” Sam said softly.

“Yeah, the baby,” she replied. “He saw me while I was pregnant, and I was carrying hex bags for Johnnie and me, but with the two of you showing up, you’ve blown that to hell. Which means we have to run.” Kaitlin threw various things into the bag and growled, “Castiel!”

“Cas?” Dean asked in confusion.

Kaitlin looked at him with a frown. “What, you think you’re the only one he shows up for?”

“We tried calling him earlier,” Sam reminded her. “He might be busy…”

The flutter of wings announced the angel’s arrival. He saw the brothers, Kaitlin’s frantic packing, and frowned heavily. “What has happened?”

“There’s a good chance they were being tracked by demons when they came here. Something’s crossed the farthest wards… They haven’t crossed the next set yet, but that doesn't mean they aren’t coming. Johnnie and I have to get somewhere safe right now,” Kaitlin replied.

“You can come to the bunker,” Sam replied.

She frowned and paused to look at him. “What?”

“It’s the most heavily warded place there is,” Sam reasoned. “Nothing can get in, there’s plenty of space, you’d have your own room.”

Kaitlin shook her head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Sam.”

“You’d both be safe there, Kaitlin,” Dean said softly. He watched as she whirled to stare at him.

She was surprised he had agreed, but her attention was diverted to the baby who cried suddenly. Turning, she lifted the fussy infant and shushed her softly, holding Johnnie to her chest while she rooted for food. Her back to the men she shifted her shirt so that she could situate the infant to latch, while saying, “Are you sure you can handle me being there, Dean?”

He listened to the dark tone of her words and let out a silent sigh. Kaitlin had been hostile towards him since his arrival, and he was furious to find out she had hidden a pregnancy from him. But the back of his mind kept trying to show him flashes that were unclear, and he knew he was missing something. “Promise not to kill me in my sleep, and yeah. Sam’s right; it’s the safest place for you both,” he replied.

Kaitlin snorted, her body rocking while the baby nursed. “How far away is it?”

“I can take you there directly, Kaitlin,” Castiel offered.

“Take Sammy too,” Dean replied. “He’s still not looking too great. I’ll meet you back there in a few hours.”

Kaitlin gathered a few bags one-handed while the baby continued to nurse. When Sam noticed she was trying to hold five different bags and a small bassinet, he put a few bags into the bassinet and lifted it with his good arm. Castiel came over to take the remaining things, leaving Kaitlin holding just the diaper bag and baby, and she smiled at the angel and man thankfully. Sam turned to his brother and said, “I’ll call you in a little while, once we’re settled.”

“I’ll be on the road as soon as you’re gone,” Dean confirmed.

"Stay safe," Sam cautioned.

Castiel touched the human’s shoulders, and the trio appeared in the bunker. Sam led the way to a bedroom and showed Kaitlin inside. “There’s a small bathroom through that door and should be enough room for you and Johnnie both,” he said softly as he and Castiel set everything down for her.

Kaitlin pulled the sleepy infant up to burp her, smiling as she succeeded and continued rubbing the baby’s back where Johnnie rested on her shoulder. “Thanks, Sam. But you should get some rest; you’re still recovering,” she advised.

“I can take care of that,” Castiel replied. He reached out and touched the tall alpha’s forehead for a few seconds. When he pulled away, Sam stood straighter and nodded.

“Thanks, Cas,” Sam replied. “We tried calling for you when we were driving.”

“My apologies. I heard, but… I was indisposed and unable to get away; the situation in heaven needed to be dealt with,” the angel replied.

Kaitlin frowned. “It’s calmed down now, though?”

“For the moment, yes,” he agreed.

Sam nodded. “I’m going to let Dean know that we’re here and settled. Did you want anything to eat, Kait?”

“Give me a little bit, and I could eat; I’m not picky though.”

“Meet you in the kitchen; Cas, can you show her the way?” Sam asked.

The angel nodded, and they watched the alpha leave. Castiel turned to the woman and asked, “How have you been?”

“Actually, could you do me a favour, Cas?” Kaitlin asked with a long sigh. When the angel nodded, she smiled. “Can you keep an eye on her, while I take a shower? It’s been a while since I’ve been able to take one without having to quickly jump in and out because I’ve had to look after her too.”

“Of course,” Castiel said with a small smile.

Kaitlin laid the baby down in the bassinet and pressed a kiss to Castiel’s cheek. “Thank you. I’ll try not to be too long.”

“Take your time,” the angel assured. “I’ve never minded looking after her.”

Though the bathroom was small, Kaitlin was thrilled to have the stand-alone shower to herself and relished the opportunity to not have to rush through washing her hair or the rest of her. After getting out, she rubbed on moisturizer and dressed, then realized she could hear the baby fussing and rushed out into the main room. The sight of Sam holding the baby stopped her.

“Where did Cas go?”

“He thought he would keep Dean company for the trip, just in case there were any issues,” Sam replied, carefully holding the baby while his body swayed. “He let me know you had gone to shower, so I thought I’d come to keep an eye on her for you, but she got fussy.”

Kaitlin nodded and fought the urge to take the baby from him; Sam wasn’t doing anything wrong, but she could list on one hand the people who had ever held her. “Thank you.”

Sam looked up and grinned at her, then stared down at the infant. “She has green eyes,” he said softly and glanced up. He watched Kaitlin stiffen and look away and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Kait, but… It’s not like we don’t know who her father is.”

“No, I know, I just…” her voice died off.

“Why didn’t you call me, Kait?” Sam asked, his voice soft. When she looked at him, her eyes hurt, he shook his head quickly. “I’m not asking to start a fight, I promise. I’m just curious. It’s obvious Cas knew, and if Bobby gave you the hunting lodge, then he knew…”

Kaitlin stared at the baby in his arms and smiled slightly, shaking her head. “I couldn’t tell you, Sam, because it was too big a secret,” she replied simply. “I know you and your brother have kept things from one another in the past, but it drives a wedge between you. And Johnnie… She was too much for you to have to keep from him.”

Sam let out a long sigh but nodded in understanding, studying the tiny infant in his arms. “I know we ran into you about six months ago at the Roadhouse, and you and Dean had already had your blow-up there. Because I walked in on the end of him losing it again,” Sam said with a frown. “I asked him about it in the car, and he wouldn’t talk.” He watched her rub her stomach and said, “Come on, I started coffee before I came in here, and we can find some food.”

Kaitlin followed him, and poured them each a cup of coffee, offering to take the baby back. She smiled when Sam waved her off and shrugged, instead finding the supplies to make them sandwiches. “When I saw you both at the Roadhouse, I tried to talk to your brother, because I had realized I was pregnant,” Kaitlin explained. “I had hoped by then he would remember what happened and could tell the difference in my scent. But he wouldn’t get close enough and… Well, you saw.”

Sam shook his head and let out a long sigh. He had walked into the Roadhouse to see Dean yelling at the young woman, most of the rest of the bar silent. He had accused her of waiting until he was in a rut to get him into bed; that she has merely taken advantage of the situation. Sam growled in anger as he recalled the situation, now knowing that Kaitlin had been trying to talk to his brother about an entirely different situation, and the baby in his arms cried suddenly.

Kaitlin stood and took her back, smiling as she explained, “Johnnie’s not used to alphas, really. She’s only met a few; the majority of people she’s been around are betas.” She rocked the baby, quieting her from the fearful cries. “She’s not used to the emotional waves that can come off alphas.”

Sam fought the growl that wanted to come out, and saw Kaitlin grin at him; he knew she could tell. “You two should have been here all along,” he finally said when he could talk evenly.

She shrugged in response. “But we weren’t. And that can’t be changed,” Kaitlin replied evenly. “And I’m not going to waste time trying to dwell on what could have been. Not when I have her here in my arms.”

“But you will punish Dean,” he said softly, keeping his voice carefully non-judgemental. Sam watched at Kaitlin stared at him, her face blank, before she tried to walk out of the room. “Kait, please…”

“No, Sam. I’ve tried twice to talk to him; you saw how the second time went,” she reminded, voice dark.

Sam sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “He didn’t know about Johnnie,” he said softly.

“Because I couldn’t get a word in,” she defended.

He put out his hands in a placating manner and said, “I’m not looking to pick a fight, Kait, I’m really not. But now that you’re here, it’s going to be harder to avoid Dean.”

Kaitlin stared down at Johnnie, who stared at her with wide eyes, making quiet, contented sounds. “I know it is,” Kaitlin replied softly. “But honestly, I don’t have anything to say to him. I tried, more than once, and it didn’t work. The bunker seems big enough that I can stay here, and not have to bother your brother.”

Sam nodded and watched her fight a yawn. “I know it’s early, but why don’t you get some sleep?”

“I’m tired, but I don’t know if I want to sleep just yet.”

Grinning, Sam said, “Then let me show you something else you might like.” He motioned her to follow him, leading her out to the library. He turned in time to watch Kaitlin’s eyes widen and grinned in response. “The Men of Letters kept extensive research on pretty much everything. There are archives as well, but this is the main library. If I remember, you had a fascination with mythology… Ah, yeah here.” Sam pulled out a thick tome and handed it over. “This is one I think you’d like to look through; it covers different cultures mythologies. We’ve actually had to use it, but it’s beautifully illustrated and old.”

Kaitlin smiled and shook her head as she stared down at the book in her one arm, Johnnie snuggled into her other side. “Thank you, Sam. I’ll definitely enjoy this,” she agreed.

He watched her wander back to her room and let out a soft sigh. Sam knew she and his brother needed to talk, but there were mountains of pain on her side, and he knew Dean was angry. It would be interesting to see what would happen while they were all living together.

*****


	3. Chapter 3

When the call had come in that Bobby was going to work a case in Valentine, Nebraska, Dean had jumped at the chance to join him. It was just over four hours away from the bunker, far closer to Sioux Falls, but Dean needed to kill something.

He had stuck his head into his brother’s room, told him about the vamp nest with his bag already packed, and was on the road in less than twenty minutes. Dean glanced down, already well on the road, when he heard his phone ringing, and saw it was his brother’s number. He answered with a sigh. “What, Sam?”

“Really? Barely an explanation and you’re out the door,” Sam replied. “And you’re surprised I’m calling?”

“Bobby needed a hand,” Dean snapped.

The younger brother snorted. “Actually, I’m pretty sure Bobby has it under control.” When Dean didn’t reply, Sam sighed softly. “Dean, you can’t avoid her forever.”

“Sammy, I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to say to her.”

“You could try starting a conversation without biting her head off,” Sam suggested quietly. “It’s been nearly two weeks now, you’ve growled almost everything at her. How’s that working for you?”

Dean growled dangerously low. He knew Sam wasn’t wrong; so far, other than agreeing that the bunker was the safest place for her and the baby, he hadn’t been able to say much to Kaitlin that hadn’t started with an angry snarl. The result had usually ended up with Kaitlin walking away to avoid an argument, even though part of him was just itching for one. He had noticed that the baby usually cried when he was nearby, and the thought made him frown heavily. “I’ll be home after the case,” he ground out and hung up, turning up the car's music to the maximum.

By the time Dean reached the rendezvous point with Bobby, he was nearly vibrating with the need to kill something. The older hunter widened his eyes but wisely said nothing. They loaded up on weapons and went to work clearing out the nest.

Bloodied and grinning a few hours later, Dean leaned against the side of his car with a beer in his hand and passed one over to Bobby after the older man had put away his weapons. “That as a hell of a hunt,” Dean chuckled.

“How’s your head, boy? Saw you get tossed into that barn wall pretty good,” Bobby asked as he stared at the wound.

“Ah, I’ll live. Got a hard head,” Dean replied before he took a long drink.

“You can say that again.”

Dean frowned at the muttered comment and studied the man next to him. “Something on your mind, Bobby?”

“Yeah, but you ain’t gonna like it,” he replied, straightening to stand in front of the alpha. “I think you need to get hit harder, and a few more times, to get your head on straight.”

Taking another long drink, Dean shook his head and stared at the beta who was a close confidant to him and his brother both. “What are you talking about?”

“That woman living in the bunker with you, Dean,” Bobby replied with exasperation. “Did you think she hadn’t called me to let me know about the cabin?”

“I hadn’t thought about it,” Dean replied with a frown. He finished the first beer and went to the trunk to grab a second as his mind went over Bobby’s words; he hadn’t thought about Kaitlin’s connection with the older beta at all. “You knew about the baby.”

It wasn’t a question, but he answered it as one anyway. “Yeah, I knew,” Bobby replied gently. “Kait couldn’t stay at the Roadhouse after that fight, so she came to stay with me. She hunted for another month or so, but… Something happened, and she needed to go off-radar. You know I got places stashed all over, and that hunting cabin was the easiest for her; well-situated, connected, and easy to run alone.”

“She talked about hex bags, and had warding far out on the property,” Dean said from where he still stood near the trunk.

“That would be Missouri Moseley, most likely,” Bobby said with a chuckle. “She wanted to make sure Kait and the baby were set up and safe after the birth. Well, the hex bags she gave Kait when Johnnie was born, but the warding was in place long before she delivered.”

“Missouri?” Dean growled. He ran a hand through his hair and whirled to stare at the now-empty barn. “So, did _everyone_ know about the baby but me?”

Bobby stared at the younger man and shook his head. “I heard from Ellen, after that scene you made at the Roadhouse, Dean. Did you really think any of us were going to even mention Kait’s name around you? She was safe, so was the baby, and you were just as happy being as far away from her as you could get.” He watched the younger man narrow his eyes, and Bobby pointed his finger at him. “Don’t you get your back up at me, boy. I’ve been looking after that girl since she lost her folks. I wasn’t gonna betray her trust, especially after you laid the blame for knocking her up _all_ on her. Like you weren’t looking to burst your knot.”

“I was at the bunker, locked in my room,” he shot back.

“But you went willingly,” Bobby growled. Alphas had never intimidated him, and no matter how much Dean was used to using those tactics as a hunter, Bobby had trained the younger man and worked with his father. Neither of the younger Winchesters could scare the experienced hunter. “You can’t tell me that girl made you do anything you didn’t want to do, so don’t even try.”

Dean ran a hand through his hair and let out a long sigh. “Bobby, I don’t even remember half of that night,” he admitted.

“And you’re still pinning it all on her; high-class move there,” the beta replied, his voice laden with sarcasm. “I think you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror, boy. You and Kait have been friends for years, and now, there’s a baby involved. You willing to let it all go to hell, just because you can’t get your hard head out of your stubborn ass?”

He watched Bobby get into his car and drive off, leaving Dean to sort things out inside his own head. The older man wasn’t wrong, Dean knew that, though he hated having it thrown in his face. Checking the time, he knew it would be late by the time he made it home and groaned while he pulled out his phone.

Sam picked up on almost the first ring. “Dean, everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, Sammy,” he replied tiredly. “How are things at home?”

“Good. Cas is here; he and Kait are watching movies. I was just about to go on a pizza run,” Sam replied. “Everything taken care of?”

Dean nodded and slid behind the wheel. “Yeah, I’m packed up and headed on the road; I’ll be in late.”

“Need me to pick up anything while I’m grabbing food?”

“Just make sure you get pie,” he said with a smile.

Sam laughed and nodded. “Of course. See you tonight.”

*****

Dean studied his brother, as the younger Winchester paced the library and rocked the crying infant. The baby was settling quickly as Sam spoke soothingly, and Dean couldn’t help but shake his head. The little one had taken quickly to Sam in the time she and Kaitlin had been staying there; his brother’s voice often calmed the little girl. “Kait still in bed?” Dean asked softly.

“I told her to go back to sleep,” Sam confirmed. “She could use it. I know she had a rough night last night; Johnnie had a hard time settling.”

Dean frowned at his brother and shook his head. “And how would you know that?”

Sam looked at him quizzically, narrowing his eyes at the jealousy he could hear in his brother’s tone. “My room is across from Kaitlin’s,” Sam explained simply. “She ended up calling in Cas to make sure nothing was wrong; Johnnie had a bout of colic that he treated, and she was able to settle after that.” Sam watched his brother stare at the baby, and he sighed heavily in frustration; he had hoped Bobby would have talked some sense into his brother, but Sam wasn’t sure the older alpha was ready to mend fences. “Dean, do the math.”

“What are you talking about?”

  
“You and Kait were together eight months ago,” Sam explained patiently. “Johnnie is two months old…” Sam watched his brother’s mind whirl. “What do you remember of that night; _really_ think back, Dean.”

The older brother got up to pace, his eyes wide. “Kait’s a beta; the baby can’t be mine,” he growled.

Sam stared at him, a dark look on his face and he growled in return. The baby in his arms cried, and he looked down to shush her softly, his tone gentle as he said, “Go and open the door to Kait’s room, take a long, deep breath. Then come back and try to say that to me again, Dean.”

He watched as Dean left with a confused look on his face, and Sam turned back to Johnnie. He understood the misunderstanding; only omegas carried babies for six months, alphas and betas gestations were for nine. The baby in his arms had calmed and was sleeping soundly. Sam looked up as his brother came back into the room; Dean’s eyes were wide, and his face held a shocked expression.

“But…” Dean’s voice trailed off as he stared at the baby while he approached slowly.

“What do you _actually_ remember from that night? From what I know, from that day you two ran into each other at the Roadhouse, you were at the end of a rut,” Sam prodded.

Dean dropped heavily into a chair and watched as his brother settled much more gently, rubbed his hands over his face and fought to think back. “Kait called, I remember that much,” Dean replied with a deep frown. “She was…upset.” He growled and got up to pace. “Dammit, Sammy, I don’t know.”

Sam sighed softly; he knew what it was like to be deep in his own rut. Whenever they felt it coming on, each brother usually locked themselves in their room in the bunker and waited for it to pass, so he knew Kaitlin couldn’t have been far when she called. “I must have been on a case, or I would’ve been here when you left,” Sam said. “But from what she’s told me, Kait said she tried to wait it out once she realized she was in heat. And when she couldn’t…”

“She called me,” Dean finished. He closed his eyes and leaned on the table next to where his brother sat. “I remember showing up at a hotel… She had the air turned on high, it was freezing. Looking back, I couldn’t figure out why; I think I figured she’d done it because of my rut, but… It makes sense now. I… I knew then that she was in heat, but I was so far gone… I didn’t even remember the next morning,” his voice at the end was a whisper. Dean ran a hand over his face and groaned. “I can’t believe I forgot that… And why would she be presenting now?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of an omega being past 21 before their first heat; she just turned 32 a month ago,” Sam replied. “I’m not surprised she called for help; Kait would’ve had nothing to help her through it. I don’t even know if suppressants would work for her at his point.”

Dean groaned and dropped his face into his hands. “And I accused her of using my rut to get me into bed,” he whispered. “ _Son of a bitch_ ; even at the Roadhouse… Hell, she was probably trying to tell me she was pregnant!”

“She was,” Sam confirmed, watching the horror roll across his brother’s face. “You overreacted, Dean, big time. Way more than you should have, even at the Roadhouse; I never would have expected that from you, especially towards family. And I doubt Kaitlin did either.”

The older brother growled in anger at himself and couldn’t deny his sibling was right, watching as the baby stirred in his brother’s arms. Dean found it interesting that the baby reacted each time the brothers’ anger flared. “No wonder she’s been avoiding me,” Dean muttered. “I’m still not entirely sure what I said to her…”

“I can’t answer that,” Sam said with a small shrug. “But, I know one thing you did do that night. Kait carries your scent.”

Dean’s gaze met his brother’s quickly, his own eyes wide. “I didn’t claim her,” he protested.

“I know; her neck is clear. But, you marked her somewhere,” Sam countered. “We both know; there are other places to mark omegas, even if you don’t claim them.”

Thinking back over what he could remember of that night, Dean blushed slightly; between his rut and Kaitlin’s heat, he was certain they went through the Kama Sutra of positions. The sudden memory of biting her thigh, just near her femoral artery, and Kaitlin’s blood filling his mouth as they feasted on one another flashed through his mind. Because it was so close to her core; that would be the mark that would carry his scent with her. The more he thought, the more memories he unlocked. Dean moved to stand over his brother, staring down at his daughter.

“Do you want to hold her?” Sam asked gently.

Dean looked at him in surprise, then nodded slowly. He took the infant carefully and cradled her close to his chest; she felt so small in his hands. “She looks so much like Kait,” he murmured, studying Johnnie’s pale skin and full head of dark chestnut brown hair. But when she opened her eyes, Dean’s heart stopped when he saw his own bright green eyes staring back at him.

“How about I go start some breakfast, and get a pot of coffee going?” Sam suggested, watching as his brother was totally enthralled. When Dean only nodded in response, Sam grinned and left quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

Kaitlin wandered slowly into the library, stretching, but froze when she saw Dean holding Johnnie. Her eyes scanned the room for the taller brother, then settled back on the older alpha, while she tried to think of something to say.   


“I owe you an apology,” Dean said, breaking the silence without looking up. The baby was staring at him, and he felt unable to break her gaze. Even though he spoke to Kaitlin, he smiled softly at Johnnie. “Sam and I talked; I remembered what happened the night we made this little one.”   


Kaitlin stared at him, her heart hammering in her chest. “Oh,” was all she could manage to say.   


Dean could smell the fear coming off her, and he finally looked up with a small frown, shaking his head. “I know you’re an omega, Kait,” he admitted. “I don’t know how I could forget that.”   


“Did you remember, or…?”   


“Sam sent me to your room,” Dean said with a small smile. “When he pointed out Johnnie was two months old, I tried to say she couldn’t be mine… He got mad and sent me to your room to scent you. I can’t believe, with you having been in the bunker this long, I hadn’t realized yet.”   


“She would have helped cover the scent,” Kaitlin said softly. Part of her kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. “I should apologize too; I’ve been awful to you since you showed up at the cabin.”   


Dean snorted and shook his head. “Given the things I said to you, I think I deserved it,” he replied. “I’m surprised Bobby didn’t kick my ass yesterday. Or Ellen when we’ve stopped by the Roadhouse the last few months. Son of a bitch; no wonder she kept sending Jo out of the room when we’d show up…”   


Kaitlin laughed softly and nodded. “Yeah, Jo isn’t too happy with you right now,” she agreed. “She can smell your mark on me…” Her voice died in her throat as she wondered if he had remembered the entire events.

“I remember that, too,” he assured, voice dark and warm with memories.

She sighed in relief and nodded. “Okay, good. Anyway, Jo can smell it. She knows I’m an omega, and then your blow up…” Kaitlin sighed heavily. “I haven’t helped the situation, and I’m sorry. And then with Johnnie’s birth…”   


He looked up when her voice died off, and saw she was pointedly not looking at him. Dean glanced down to the infant in his arms, then stood and carefully approached the woman who had stayed near the edge of the room. “Kait, what about her birth?”   


“It was… The doctors called it traumatic,” she replied with a humourless smile, reaching out to touch the infant’s face softly.   


Dean transferred Johnnie to one arm and reached out to cup Kaitlin’s face. “What happened?”   


“The placenta tore, and she got stuck,” Kaitlin stared into his eyes and shuddered as she remembered. “The doctors had to do an emergency C-section to get her out, and… Let’s just say Johnnie won’t have any siblings.”   


Dean growled softly that she had nearly died, and he had missed it all. The baby whimpered and started getting fussy in his arms; Dean looked down to see her rooting around. “I think someone’s hungry,” he murmured.   


Kaitlin took her and turned her back to Dean to get the baby to latch, which Johnnie did greedily. “The doctors didn’t have to take everything,” she continued to explain once the baby started to feed. “I still have the ability to go into heat, just no chance of getting pregnant. Not that I have yet. I’m not sure why; my body is so screwed up.”   


“Your body is recovering,” Sam replied from the doorway. “It’s only been a few months, and everything is still healing. Like you said; it was traumatic.”   


She glanced at him and nodded. “True enough.”   


“Coffee is fresh, and I made pancakes,” Sam announced with a smile. He had heard enough of the conversation to know that the pair was in a much better place with one another, for which he was thankful.    


Kaitlin followed Sam to the kitchen, Dean close behind, and she raised Johnnie up on her shoulder to burp the baby while the younger brother poured her coffee. Sniffing delicately, she grimaced and said, “Give me one second, guys. Someone needs a fresh bum before I join you.”

Sam chuckled and watched her leave, then turned to Dean and lowered his voice to say, “You two seem...better?”

Dean nodded slightly and let out a relieved sigh as he thought back over the last few months. “I think so. Not all the way, I know that will take time, but… You were right; I overreacted, by a long shot. I need to get past not knowing about Johnnie. I never gave anyone a choice to tell me; they were protecting Kait, and rightly so.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m still confused about a few things, though…”

“Like what?” Kaitlin asked as she re-entered the room.

Dean glanced between them and motioned her to sit before the food got cold. “Well, you mentioned Crowley was after you and Johnnie. Why would he be so interested?”

Sam nodded slightly as he dug into his own food. “I did wonder that myself.”

Kaitlin frowned between the pair and shook her head. “You’re kidding, right?” she asked. When the brothers looked at her quizzically, she snorted. “It’s a good thing you two are pretty, you know that?”

“Okay, what does that mean?” Sam asked indignantly, even as he chuckled.

“What do you think a child of either of you would mean to any of your enemies?” Kaitlin asked softly. She watched as both men froze and shared a glance, then turn back to stare at her. “Make a little more sense now?”

“But how would they know she was mine?”

“Dean, come on,” she replied. “Anyone who got close could tell I was an omega, and your mark is obvious. I was on a hunt, took out a demon, and Crowley popped in… He could...sense the pregnancy, and knew immediately it was yours. He was a little too excited at the prospect.”

“How did you get away then?” Dean asked, voice dark with concern.

Kaitlin shrugged and glanced down at her coffee as Johnnie stretched in her arms. “I had painted a few demon traps in the hotel room I was hunting in, just in case. In blood, because I knew that the demons wouldn’t think much of spilled blood in that place; it was a shithole. Crowley was distracted by me and walked right into one, and I got out.” She let out a long sigh and shook her head. “I was around four months then…”   


“You were still hunting at four months?” Sam asked in surprise.

“It was my last hunt,” she assured. “It was going to be my last one, even before running into Crowley, I swear. But, after that, I needed to go into hiding. I couldn’t have him finding me.”

Dean nodded. “Which is when you ended up at the cabin.”

Kaitlin nodded in agreement. She ate a few mouthfuls, then looked between them. “I wasn’t just protecting us,” she finally said softly. “I’m just as protective of my family as you are.”

A small smile crept over his face as Dean studied her. Even after everything, he knew what she was saying; that she had been trying to keep the demons away from them as well. “We both know you are, Kait,” he agreed.

Sam watched her set down her utensils, and asked, “Want any more?” When she shook her head, he cleared the table. “Your arms are ripped, by the way,” he added, teasingly.

“Spend as much time carrying her around as I do, and yours… Well, scratch that, yours pretty much are anyway,” Kaitlin said with a laugh, looking between the men. “Speaking of, I am going to go lay her down for a while.”

*****

Dean knocked softly on the door to Kaitlin’s room a few hours later and stuck his head inside. He found her lounging on her laptop on the bed, Johnnie sleeping in the crib Sam had bought. She sat up and smiled at him, motioned Dean in and set her computer aside. 

“I’m not bugging, am I?” he asked.

“No, not at all. Just watching some Netflix and emailing Jo; she sent me one earlier to see how we are. Come have a seat.”

He stopped near the crib to gaze down at the peacefully sleeping infant, before he sat on the end of the bed, one leg drawn up. “She’s beautiful, Kait,” Dean said with a smile.

She grinned and nodded, glancing at the crib and letting out a contented sigh. “I love that she has your eyes,” Kaitlin admitted. “And she’s starting to freckle.”

“You’re kidding?” 

Shaking her head, she laughed. “I noticed a few showing up, and it’s not from being in the sun, it’s just her skin.” Kaitlin studied him, her eyes searching. “But, you came here for a reason.”

Dean stared at the crib for a few moments, then back to her. “Ever since Sam told me, I’ve been wanting to ask...about her name, Kait. You named her after Dad?”

She smiled gently and nodded. “I know your relationship with your dad was...tense, but I know how much you loved him, too,” Kaitlin replied softly. “I hunted with John, too; not often, but a few times, he saved my ass. It’s where that loyalty and fierce protectiveness comes from, I know that. I know both you and Sam had your issues with him, but I also know how much you would have done for him, how much you did do for him. Your family is everything to you.” Her eyes drifted over to stare at the crib and she let out a long sigh. “Your father saved me once from a werewolf attack, not long after I started hunting. I was in over my head, and I expected him to start tearing a strip off me once we were out safe. But, he took me back to where he was staying, patched me up, gave me a shot of whiskey, and sat guard all night to make sure no one else showed up.” Kaitlin smiled at the memory and turned back to Dean. “In the morning, on the way back to Bobby’s, he made me promise to get more training before I tried anything like that again. I think it gave him visions of losing your mom; another woman dying in front of him. I don’t know for sure, but he never pulled the alpha-ordering crap on me that I expected him to, he asked instead. We never spoke of that incident again, not even when we hunted together, but… I never forgot it.”

“He never told me,” Dean said with surprise. The father he knew would have lectured his sons for hours if they had tried to do what Kaitlin had, but she was right; John had always had a soft spot for her. “So you named her for him.”

“And for you,” she added. Studying him closely, she let out a long, soft breath. “Dean, you don’t ever have to go any further than your mark on me; I don’t expect a full claim,” Kaitlin assured.

“I was going to ask, but not in front of Sam; why didn’t you have Cas remove it?” he asked carefully.

Kaitlin met his eyes, her face blank. “And if you one day remembered marking me, and suddenly I wasn’t; what would you think about that?” she asked. When he growled in response, she smiled. “I know you didn’t mean it; it was a heat of the moment move. But, I wasn’t going to risk pissing you off more, by having Cas take if off without your knowing about it. I can’t imagine I’m the first omega you’ve marked.”

“You are,” he admitted, watching her face flush. “If you want it gone, if it’s safer for you, I won’t argue.”

“What do you want?” She watched Dean study her face and lick his lips, felt her own flush in response. “Is my being an omega going to change things between us?”

“I don’t think your status has anything to do with it, sweetheart,” he replied gruffly. “A lot happened that night,  _ that  _ changed everything. We have a baby now; that’s going to change things. I feel...drawn to you, to protect you, even more than I did before. Maybe it’s my mark on you, I don’t know.”

“Then, for now, we take things slow and see where it all leads,” Kaitlin said with a smile. “You have a daughter to get to know. She’s getting used to Sam’s voice already; I think she needs to learn her father’s.”

Dean grinned. “So, you’re staying here at the bunker, then?”

“We’re staying,” Kaitlin agreed. He reached out a hand and she took it, squeezing his fingers. “We can figure things out slowly, deal?”

“Deal.”


End file.
